Online lifecast deathmatch: BlogTV vs. Stickam!

 

versus.

"Two websites enter...one website leaves."

When youtube was created a few years ago people needed a place to go to stream their faces live in order to stroke their growing egos. Aside from being the number one destination for sex offenders to get their jollies from jailbait teens, Stickam was the de facto place for youtubers to hang out.

Over the years there have been many nights wasted there. I treat stickam as a virtual watering hole (with my own beer of course) when I am unable to get to a REAL bar. I've made friends, enemies and acquaintances there.

Unfortunately due to the many problems such dudes jerking it on cam, 4channers being annoying by blasting a loud organismic negro, and just being plain unstable. Many youtube stars or people with a high level of unwarranted self importance have chose to go to blogtv.com

Now according to the some insider sources, BlogTV has actually PAID some of them to ditch stickam and head over there. Compared to stickam, blogtv doesn't have video chat with a window of the host and up to 6 cam slots. The focus on blogtv is on the host and sometimes a "co-host". Instead of a stickam room, blogtv has "shows".

For example you can see UberPopularYouTuber at 8pm on Wednesday. Stickam has the ability to do shows, but its not really used by youtubers. Only the scenester fucks who infested stickam use it.

Here is a comparison.

Stickam's pros

• Has 6-7 slots for cams. The best reason to use stickam.
• Has a easier interface to add friends. Almost like the internet landfill myspace.
• Robust tools to ban fools

Stickam's cons

• Crashes. A LOT. I couldn't log in the site for a month due to their servers fucking up.
• Currently overpopulated with Scenster kids. How much fucking mascara do you have to wear? All of them look like raccoons.
• Pervs and Trolls still run the place. Though at times they can be funny.

Blog Tv's Pros

• More Stable
• Streaming is higher quality

Blog Tv's Cons

• Overpopulated by youtube mega stars and their idiotic fans. I love whatthebuck to death, but a great deal of his fans are fucking idiots who can't spell and ask the same fucking questions OVER and OVER again in a chat.
• The focus on only one person and a co-host. It increases the ego of a youtube celeb.
• Not worth it for youtube nobodies like myself if I ever wanted to host a room...err do a "show". If I say "hey I am hosting a show on blogtv" I don't think anyone will come. At least on stickam I will get at least a dozen people on a GOOD night.
• Layout is CONFUSING as hell! Its hard to add friends and find out who is actually live.

When you weigh the pros and cons, clearly for me Stickam still is on top for now. Unfortunately, it looks like everyone and their mother is choosing blogtv over stickam and that sucks. Unless blogtv has a stickam-like feature that will have more than one or two people on cam, I really can't see myself using the site on a regular basis.

I'll tell you one thing though, BOTH sites are time wasters to the extreme.

http://www.blogtv.com/people/leonwestbrook
http://www.stickam.com/leonwestbrook

I'm on both.

Debunking myths and why I am voting for Obama

Being "internet homeless"

Since I moved into a new place so I can finish up summer courses, I have been without steady internet access since Wednesday. I can go on the internets at work but I can't focus on writing blogs and other things because i'm focused on...work things.

Forget about going to YouTube, Facebook or Myspace (which I could care less about). They are all blocked at my job. Chalk it up to "This is why we can't have nice things!"

So I if I want free and un fettered internet access I am forced to go to free wifi spots. Some places are open 24 hrs and I gladly take advantage of it. Unfortunately the chairs are uncomfortable, the places aren't that quiet to focus on school work, power cords are in odd locations (or not at ALL) and people who walk by tend to be fucking nosey (I had one guy thinking that i was looking at porn when I just just watching a video of a female vlogger on youtube.)

So i'll give some tips on how to deal with being Internet Homeless.

1. Make sure that the wi-fi spot is free.
I find that paying for wi-fi is absolutley criminal. Paying $3 to check your email is wrong. If the wi-fi is free there is a greater chance that I will spend money on coffee or something else.

2.If you can get a place that is open 24 hours.
I am a night owl and I require something that is open 24/7. At the same time make sure its not in a sketchy area.

3.Make sure the co-workers are cool with you setting up "camp".
Luckily I can create rapport with co-workers easily. If someone doesn't want me there using the internet for a long period of time, be rest assured that I won't be spending my money there.

4. Make sure you are near a source that has coffee or food in good quanities.
It helps to have replenishments on hand. Of course you can bring your own stuff...if they'll let you.

If you become internet homeless I highly recommend Panera Bread. The wi-fi is free and the food is great! Just be sure to get there early because during peak periods the good seats fill up quickly.

New commenting system

I'm using Disqus for commenting now.

If you want you can test it out. You can reply and use threading now. You don't have to sign up for an account, its optional.

Please note I DO approve all comments. If you are here to troll or spam, its not gonna get through. Also I log all IP addresses too. Just wanted to get that out of the way.

In defense of facebook

Really the facebook bashing has got to stop. If people used the website PROPERLY and not as a myspace2 then maybe they would get more out of it.

I'm tired of the people who whine about the applications! If they bother you so much BLOCK THEM! If a friend continues to invite you bite a vampire or use a to use a funwall, either tell them to knock it the fuck off or don't be that persons friend!

The same goes for Facebook's privacy policies. Understandably they aren't perfect (Facebook Beacon anyone?) If you are worried about that creepy ex or your parents finding about your profile BLOCK THE PERSON. If they are blocked they cannot SEE your profile at all!

How hard is it to block someone? If every one ignored or blocked someone they don't want looking at their social networking profile cyber bullying or trolling wouldn't happen!

Another thing you shouldn't do is add your everyone on the face of the earth to your facebook. I only add people who I know IRL, co-workers, youtube people, friends from LJ/other online places who I have known for a considerable time and potential networking contacts. The site will work the best IF YOU ACTUALLY ADD PEOPLE YOU KNOW! So clean out your friends list once in a while.

Facebook is not myspace, its not the quantity of friends you have its the QUALITY.

To those "marketers" out there, you aren't welcome on facebook. So don't bitch and moan when you find out that Zuckerburg and co smashed the bannhammer on your ass for sending out 100 unsolicited messages about your "stock tips" or other crap. Facebook is doing a great job to keep your ilk of the site.

Its really not hard to NOT get banned from facebook. If you are unsure follow these rules.

To summarize: If you aren't using the site for what its meant for, which is to cultivate existing friendships. You really don't belong on there. Please stick to myspace or bebo.

BTW: Facebook IS NOT OWNED OR OPERATED BY THE CIA! It is a half baked conspiacy theory. If a government agency wanted to get info on me they would be wasting their time. I don't think they will find me liking Be Your Own Pet or hockey as vital to national security. Until I can find CONCRETE information that is readily available from a reliable source (and not Sara's anti conspiracy anti sweatshop blog or Alternet) I consider it BULLSHIT.

Rosay and Riot Becki leave "The Pipettes"

Of course its all over the indie blogosphere OVER 9000 times by now.

Rosay and Riot Becki have left the The Pipettes! They left "to pursue other musical pursuits" according to the somber press release on their website.


Riot Becki and Rosay at Lee's palace

This is PROBABLY by design according to their manifesto.

The good news is that they are working on new material but with new members Ani and Anna (whomever they are). So I won't become An Hero because of this.

It is also important to know this is not the first time The Pipettes had members leave. Julia left and now is in the band "The Indelicates."



Here is a pic of me and them when I saw them in Toronto at Lee's Palace in November.

Now excuse me while i BAWWWWWWW

(Just kidding) But I wish the best of luck to Riot Becki and Rosay on their new projects. I'm sure they will be as equally good as their contributions to The Pipettes were! I really hope the sophomore slump doesn't affect the pips.

Starbucks Pike Place Roast: Sort of Want. (but close to DO NOT WANT)

I guess Starbucks is not making enough money these days. Aside from charging people $9 dollars to drink highly sugarized coffee drinks that aren't named in english and attempting on saving money by (allegedly) not paying baristas their tips in some places, SBUX has to try something new.

They are introducing the New Coke of coffee, Pike Place Roast.

Now I"m not a coffee snob by any strech, but their coffee isn't the worlds greatest. People go to Starbucks for mainly the frappicinos and miso lattes. They also go for things like the friendly atmosphere and (in my case) soy milk as an option to put in drinks.

Yesterday I had a sample of their newest blend, named after the first Starbucks in Seattle. To mark the occasion they even put all of the cups using the throwback logo used back in the 70's. Now the coffee itself is ok, but to me it tastes like an odd blend of Tim Hortons and Dunkin' Donuts coffee...which in turn tasted like a mix between burnt wood and nuts. (FYI: I usually either have my coffee black or with soy milk. I had this black) The coffee is said to be "personally" grinded by a barista and held for only 30 minutes. (yeah right!)

I am not clear on what Starbucks is trying to accomplish here. They first did a stunt where they closed their stores for 90 mins to retrain their minions baristas on how to make the "perfect cup of coffee". Secondly, I think they should worry about lowering the prices instead on doing stunts like the above.

There are mixed reviews about the change everywhere. Personally I say its not bad, but was this change really necessary?

You can check out these blogs for more reaction.

At serious eats
Muddy Dog Roasting

I am coming out of the closet today!